My yoga journey began when I was living in LA with my band. I was high on life (and other stuff), but in the midst of an unhealthy, and typical musician's lifestyle, a friend said, "Dude!! You have to come to this Kundalini Yoga Class with me." I said "No way! Yoga is for weirdos and I can't even touch my knees." He said "Just come, there are hot girls there." So I said "Ok!"

That yoga class turned me inside out ten times over. From there I began a 3 year vigorous yoga practice and a few years later, I did my YTT and now I'm teaching. I love to teach in a way where the students take all-out responsibility and ownership over their own body and their own practice. It's simply a case of making the choice to be in each pose (asana) and allowing that committed space to expand your practice and your life. The way you practice on the mat, is exactly how you practice life. So the mat, is a great place to practice, play and expand what we think might be limitations.

Teaching & Certification

Yoga Works with Alicia Cheung and Oliver Reinsch

Teaching Style

Adjustments/Assists:
Love adjusting - I'm a Reiki Healer also, so in my Yin classes, I spend most of it walking around giving healings throughout the class.

Theming:
I theme my classes based on struggles and challenges that we face in life. The mat is the perfect place to get rid of stagnent emotion and energy.

Sequencing:
Connect the body, breath, awareness. Once we have that down, build some strong heat in the body, get to a peak where we just want to give up, get past that point and then start to chill, cultivating gratitude.

Music:
On my playlists, I have anything from Michael Jackson to deep mystical bells. I base a lot of my classes around my playlists.

Teacher Tunes

On & Off the Mat With: Tommy Kende

As a yoga teacher, what inspires and motivates your teaching?

Life and its challenges.

How has your own yoga practice evolved since becoming a teacher?

I find that whatever shit I'm going through in life, most of the people in the room will resonate to.

Do you have any yoga teachers that you admire and/or look up to? Who are they?

Oliver Reinsch - he's the maestro when it comes to Yoga and understanding the body.

For those of us that haven't practiced with you before, what can we expect from your classes?

A strong practice where you get to experience your own power.

What type of class could you teach all day, everyday and why?

A strong Vinyasa flow and a super chilled Yin. Both have immense opportunity to tap into our innate power that we sometimes forget about off the mat.

The way you practice on the mat, is exactly how you practice life. So the mat, is a great place to practice, play and expand what we think might be limitations.

Do you practice any other form of movement or fitness besides yoga? If so, what kind?

I sometimes do a pilates class. Other than that, I'm an avid snow, and water skiier.

What's your go-to spot in Melbourne to get inspired?

Jump in the ocean, especially in winter.

Which 3 icons or figures would you want to sit next to at a dinner party and why?